Are Your Favorite Drinks Damaging Your Smile?

Posted April 19, 2017byStephens and Gatewood

Is your favorite part of the day when you enjoy your first cup of coffee each morning? What about when you grab a second cup as an afternoon pick-me-up? If you are hooked on coffee, or soda for that matter, you might have begun to notice staining of your teeth. Frequent coffee or soda drinking can certainly lead to noticeable tooth discoloration. Unfortunately, this is not the only impact it could be having on your smile. In fact, it is important to consider the many ways your drink choices could be impacting your dental health.

What Makes Beverages So Problematic?

While coffee, in and of itself, is not necessarily harmful to your oral health, drinking a great deal of it, especially filled with sugar, cream or other sweeteners, can become damaging to your smile. That’s because these drinks are highly acidic, and over time acidity can wear away the teeth’s porous enamel. Coffee, some teas, and most sodas are highly acidic. Plus, if you drink them with sugar this can be especially problematic for the teeth, since the bacteria in the mouth feed on sugar.

How Can You Protect Your Pearly Whites?

To help protect your smile, drink water throughout the day. This helps the body produce saliva, which naturally defends again tartar buildup. Water can also help to gently rinse the teeth in between brushings. Drinking your coffee or soda relatively quickly, rather than sipping on it for several hours, can also limit how much exposure your teeth have to the acidity. If possible, drinking through a straw can also help. Though that is not recommended for hot drinks.